Impact of Media and Culture on Constructions of Homomasculinity Among Gay and Queer Men in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors

  • Martin Kaulback Massey University of New Zealand
  • Elena Maydell Massey University of New Zealand

Keywords:

homomasculinity, internalized homophobia, symbolic violence of media, White gay culture, Māori takatāpui identity

Abstract

As a cultural industry, the mass media has symbolic power in articulating the prevailing images of society and its members. For minority groups, including gay and queer individuals, this power exerts symbolic violence, in that their identity is constructed as an aberration from a desired norm. This study analyzes the narratives of gay and queer men in Aotearoa, New Zealand, as they negotiate and resist dominant representations of themselves circulating in mainstream media and culture. The participants reflect on the negative impact of cultural themes of hypermasculinity and White heteronormativity on the development of homomasculinity as the core element of their queer identities, which manifests in their perceptions of self-loathing and internalized homophobia. However, the participants also acknowledge unrealistic expectations enforced by mediatized White male beauty standards and express their desire to resist the patriarchal model of masculinity rooted in the colonial settler ideology.

Author Biographies

Martin Kaulback, Massey University of New Zealand

Martin Kaulback completed his Master’s thesis on Post-gay Identities at School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University of New Zealand, in 2020, and now works in the industry. He recently co-authored with Elena Maydell the publication Post-gay Identities: Narrative Analysis of Homomasculinity among Gay and Queer Men in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Elena Maydell, Massey University of New Zealand

Elena Maydell, PhD, teaches communication and public relations at School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University of New Zealand, in Wellington. Her research interests include cultural studies, discourse analysis, media studies, cross-cultural communication, queer studies, minority discourse, immigration studies, and qualitative research methods. Her recent publications focused on media populism, visual misrepresentation of Indigenous identities, and narrative analysis of identity construction through double migration.Dr Elena Maydell (she/her)Senior Lecturer in Public RelationsTe Pou Aro KōreroSchool of Communication, Journalism, and MarketingPukeahu CampusMassey UniversityPO Box 756Wellington 6140Email E.Maydell@massey.ac.nzPhone: 04 979 3550

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Published

2024-03-14

Issue

Vol. 18 (2024)

Section

Articles

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